The Press Box.

Daly Slated To Return To Tour

December 14, 1994

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — John Daly, on the sidelines for 3 1/2 months since a scuffle with a spectator, will return to the PGA Tour in the 1995 season-opening Mercedes Championship Jan. 5-8 in La Costa, Calif.

The former PGA champion also has filed formal commitments to play in six other early-season tournaments, PGA officials said Tuesday. Neither Daly nor his manager were available for comment.

Daly has not played since shooting an 83 in the final round of the World Series of Golf Aug. 28 at Akron, Ohio.

Immediately following that round, he engaged in a shouting match, then a public scuffle with Bob Roth, 62, father of PGA club pro champion Jeff Roth. The younger Roth accused Daly of twice hitting into his group during final-round play.

Daly later explained his lengthy absence from competition by saying he had aggravated a back injury in the incident.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, however, said the long-hitting Daly, one of the tour's leading gate attractions, voluntarily agreed to sit out the remainder of this season.